Using complaints to improve service


All organisations require feedback in order to assess how well they are achieving established goals. Healthcare practices are no different. Comments, queries, suggestions and complaints can all provide valuable insights on service delivery and areas needing improvement. It is in any practice’s best interest to collect and review this data.


Regular practice meetings can provide an opportunity to analyse individual complaints and review what went wrong and why. Such an exercise will offer insights into how similar complaints can be prevented in future. A regular audit of patient complaints can identify common themes and suggest necessary procedural changes or the need for additional staff training. In England, practices are required to submit an annual audit to their local PCTs.


The complaints procedure itself should also be regularly reviewed. Follow-up questionnaires for complainants can provide useful feedback.


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